Redistricting can be a challenge for a small county

Nov. 4 is Election Day when people will decide who will represent them, from the nation's president to local officials. We believe, or at least hope that the elections will be fair, that every eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and that his or her vote will count. We know from history that it is not always so, especially as experienced by some minorities.

The 1982 Voting Rights Act as amended addressed the problem, and played an important part in a redistricting in Alpine County as we shall see.

Most voters will make their choices in polling booths while a growing number will use mail-in ballots. In Alpine County, because of its small size all the voting is by mail. However a touch-screen machine is available for the disabled.

Throughout the nation people vote in the district where they live and in Alpine it will be in one of five districts, that are determined mainly by population and to a lesser degree by natural boundaries, such as rivers or mountains. The ideal is to have an equal number of eligible voters in each district. But in some places populations increase, in others they decline and district lines often need to be redrawn.

The U.S. Constitution deals with this problem by requiring a census every 10 years to make sure that districts fairly represent population size, and that is the responsibility of the Alpine County Board of Supervisors. The board sets up a committee to look at the boundaries and propose changes if warranted. It is assumed that the lines will be drawn fairly and not to benefit any officials or special interests.

But we all know about gerrymandering that doesn't occur in Alpine " at least it's rare. There was the time, not so long ago, when a supervisor who was at odds with other board members returned from vacation only to learn that he was no longer in his original district, which meant that his chance of being re-elected were nil.

Another case that came to the fore involved the American Indian vote. A member of the 1991 Redistricting Committee was the late Wilma Rule, whose scholarly research and writings dealt with the election of women and minorities. She found that the committee's proposed districting split a substantial number of American Indians between two districts. In the view of the Voting Rights Act their vote was diluted, and thus the arrangement was illegal. After several hearings the board accepted the committee's revised boundaries that set up the present District 3 that includes most of the county's American Indians.

Following the 2000 Census district lines were adjusted with the major change placing Bear Valley and Kirkwood in one district. After the 2010 Census there will likely be changes, especially because of the large population growth in present District 5. Zack Woods of the planing department, an expert in population analysis will provide input. And, as in the past County Clerk Barbara Howard will notify those residents who may find themselves in a different district.